B727-232 flight crew overshot assigned altitude when distraction by company radio call.

Attributes
ACN	389550
Time
Date	199712
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zbw
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 21300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	389550
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were cleared to climb and maintain FL210. While passing FL195 in-flight service (cabin attendant) called the cockpit with a customer service request. I was momentarily distracted by this event, as was my first officer, and we briefly exceeded our altitude of FL210 by 300 ft. Due to the distraction, we both missed the '1000 ft to leveloff' routine call. No comment was made by the controller as we immediately regained FL210. Flight continued uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-232 FLC OVERSHOT ASSIGNED ALT WHEN DISTR BY COMPANY RADIO CALL.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN FL210. WHILE PASSING FL195 INFLT SVC (CABIN ATTENDANT) CALLED THE COCKPIT WITH A CUSTOMER SVC REQUEST. I WAS MOMENTARILY DISTRACTED BY THIS EVENT, AS WAS MY FO, AND WE BRIEFLY EXCEEDED OUR ALT OF FL210 BY 300 FT. DUE TO THE DISTR, WE BOTH MISSED THE '1000 FT TO LEVELOFF' ROUTINE CALL. NO COMMENT WAS MADE BY THE CTLR AS WE IMMEDIATELY REGAINED FL210. FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.